Parents with children in California's failing schools (and out of 9000 public schools in the Golden State, 1300 now qualify as "failing") got an unexpected lifeline last January. As part of the Democrat-led legislature's unsuccessful attempt to get a piece of the Obama Administration's Department of Education "Race to the Top" funds, THEY PASSED A LAW WHICH INCLUDES A PROVISION GIVING PARENTS THE LEGAL RIGHT TO DEMAND INTERVENTION AT FAILING SCHOOLS IN THE FORM OF A CHARTER SCHOOL, a school closure and transfer of their children, or a staff/curriculum overhaul. Eager PARENTS IN COMPTON--a city "known best for its political corruption, racial division, and gang violence"--WERE ON THE CASE WITHOUT HASTE. They got the requisite number of signatures and were well on their way to demanding a charter school when (prepare yourself for the shock!) UNION-BACKED BUREAUCRATS STEPPED IN AND TRIED TO SHUT THEM DOWN ON A TECHNICALITY.http://nlt.ashbrook.org/2011/03/pulling-the-trigger-or-pulling-the-plug-on-school-reform.php
Public Unions are frequently in collusion with bureaucrats to the detriment of the taxpayer.
EJ Dionne: Tax increases are the responsible way to go
….QUINN WON ELECTION IN NOVEMBER 2010 AFTER PROMISING THAT HE WOULD VETO ANY BILL RAISING THE INCOME TAX ABOVE 4%. His subsequent claim that the state's fiscal situation deteriorated so dramatically after Election Day, making an even bigger tax increase necessary, would elicit raucous laughter at a funeral. ILLINOIS'S FISCAL PROBLEMS WERE WELL KNOWN BEFORE ELECTION DAY. For Quinn to claim that, by a remarkable coincidence, they grew much more severe in the weeks between when he won election on the basis of a campaign promise, and the signing ceremony when he broke it, can be explained in one of two ways: EITHER QUINN MADE THE 4% PROMISE CYNICALLY, KNOWING HE WOULD HAVE TO - OR AT LEAST WANT TO - BREAK IT, OR HE MADE IT STUPIDLY, NOT REALIZING THE SEVERITY OF HIS STATE'S DEBT PROBLEMS, even though he was serving his second year as governor during the 2010 campaign. If Dionne applauds that kind of leadership, it will be difficult for any Democrat not under indictment to earn his reproach.
As for Brown, I've argued that California's governments, state and local, WERE SPENDING ABOUT A QUARTER MORE FOR ALL THEIR ACTIVITIES IN 2008, AFTER ADJUSTING FOR INFLATION AND POPULATION GROWTH, THAN THEY WERE IN 1992. We're told out here that a savage 20% cut in overall government spending would leave us unable to afford to hire anyone to look after the school children, other than the child molesters we could no longer afford to keep in prisons. And yet, less than 20 years ago, California managed to educate its children, imprison its criminals, maintain its roads and assist the indigent -- and did all this with inflation and population-adjusted government outlays about one-fifth smaller than what they were recently. Is it so heartless or unreasonable for the taxpayers to expect that we try to recapture the levels of government efficiency seen so recently, before we declare the task impossible and say the only way out is for more money to prop up a less efficient government?
"THERE IS NOTHING COURAGEOUS ABOUT AN IDEOLOGICAL GOVERNOR HACKING AWAY AT PROGRAMS THAT PARTISANS OF HIS PHILOSOPHY, INCLUDING CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTORS, WANT ELIMINATED," DIONNE DECLARES. But there is something courageous, or at least interesting, about Democratic politicians risking the contempt of liberal columnists by declaring that further tax increases are simply impossible. Governor Andrew Cuomo has been categorical in his opposition to addressing New York's fiscal problems with tax increases, even if it means laying off more than 10,000 public workers…..
http://nlt.ashbrook.org/2011/03/for-dionne-responsibility-equals-tax-increases.php
The difference between the democrats and republicans is that the republicans tell you what they will do and then when elected back away when criticized for it. The Democrats tell you what they won’t do if elected, and then do it anyway.
New Orleans City Hall dysfunction leaves specialist 'shocked'
CALLING NEW ORLEANS CITY GOVERNMENT THE MOST DYSFUNCTIONAL HE'S EVER SEEN, a leading turnaround specialist delivered a report to Mayor Mitch Landrieu this week identifying a long list of problems at City Hall, as well as A 10-POINT PLAN ON HOW TO RIGHT THE SHIP.
Since taking office in May, Landrieu has identified many of the problems outlined by consultant David Osborne, including DECADES-OLD COMPUTER SYSTEMS, CIVIL SERVICE RULES THAT BEGET MEDIOCRITY, SENSELESS RED TAPE AND STAFFING SHORTAGES DATING TO HURRICANE KATRINA.
Osborne, who has advised dozens of cities on streamlining efforts, said Thursday that New Orleans faces myriad, deep-seated problems, the likes of which he has never encountered.
"I was kind of shocked," said Osborne, who served as a senior adviser to then-Vice President Al Gore's National Performance Review initiative. "I THINK THEY INHERITED THE LEAST COMPETENT CITY GOVERNMENT I'D EVER SEEN IN THIS COUNTRY AND THE MOST CORRUPT -- a really tough experience. I just haven't run into this level of dysfunction before, and I've been doing this work for almost 25 years."
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/03/new_orleans_city_hall_dysfunct.html#incart_mce
Perhaps the incompetence in Hurricane Katrina really was a function of the state and local government rather than all the fault of FEMA. At the time the MSM and the Democrats tried to put all the blame on the Bush Whitehouse rather than the least competent and most corrupt city government in the country.
Progressivism: A quick history and look at the future
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLilhZ_73Zc&feature=player_embedded
An interesting look at what only can be called, “Back to the Future.”
Something is happening in Washington
….It may not be obvious, but there’s something important going on here. No, it’s not that Congress has begun to rein in spending significantly. IT’S THAT ACTUAL CUTS, SMALL AS THEY ARE, ARE BEING MADE. “FOUR BILLION IN THE CONTEXT OF AN OVER $3 TRILLION BUDGET IS NOT A LOT OF MONEY, [but] it is at least the first time since I’ve been here I can recall cutting anything of any consequence,” McConnell said. And Democrats are bragging about how hard they’ve worked to meet Republicans “halfway” in trimming spending.
The boasting is ludicrous. DEMOCRATS HAVE INDEED WORKED HARD—TO STAVE OFF EVEN THE MOST MODEST REDUCTIONS. Though Republicans control only the House, they’ve forced the White House and Senate to swallow cuts unimaginable to Democrats before the November 2 election. So far, that means one sixth ($10 billion), not one half, of the cuts sought by Republicans.
SO A CULTURE OF CUTTING RATHER THAN SPENDING HAS TAKEN HOLD IN WASHINGTON. Its grip may be weak. The public may conclude Republicans are overreaching, which is what Democrats are counting on. But I don’t think so. THE PUBLIC, I SUSPECT, IS WAY AHEAD OF WASHINGTON IN RECOGNIZING THE NEED TO CONTROL SPENDING, avert a debt crisis, and reverse the decline of the country they perceive all around them…..
http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/what-difference-year-makes_552970.html
Fred Barnes has an interesting take on what’s going on in Washington today and it is monumental. And I agree with him that the public is way ahead of Washington. In fact, Obama and the Democrats have brought this upon themselves. They spent so prolifically that I think they felt the public would demand higher taxes and they were counting on Carbon taxes as well. Instead we see a public calling for reduced spending which includes spending for public employee and their unions a major money source for the Democrats. What we saw was the Democratic version of the circular firing squad.
And speaking of flawed plans
The Los Angeles Community College District would become a paragon of clean energy. By generating solar, wind and geothermal power, THE DISTRICT WOULD SUPPLY ALL ITS ELECTRICITY NEEDS. Not only would the nine colleges sever ties to the grid, saving millions of dollars a year, THEY WOULD MAKE MONEY BY SELLING SURPLUS POWER. Thanks to state and federal subsidies, construction of the green energy projects would cost nothing upfront.
As head of a $5.7-billion, taxpayer-funded program to rebuild the college campuses, Eisenberg commanded attention. But his plan for energy independence was seriously flawed.
He OVERESTIMATED HOW MUCH POWER THE COLLEGES COULD GENERATE. HE UNDERESTIMATED THE COST. AND HE POURED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO DESIGNS FOR PROJECTS THAT PROVED SO IMPRACTICAL OR UNPOPULAR THEY WERE NEVER BUILT.….
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-build6-20110306,0,4909175.story
The green revolution with its good paying green jobs appear to be a mirage at best and fraud at worst. It’s time for congress to start looking into these “too good to be true” schemes.
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